Ski/family boat recommendations for under $10k?

[mattsk42]

We're getting our first boat. Grew up on the Missouri boating all summer long, and have towed and driven everything from a jet ski to pontoons. What we're looking for is basically a ski boat, but one that you can have 6-10 people on. The catch is, it has to be really cheap: Under 9,000 for sure, and the cheaper the better. Used is perfectly fine.

Ideally, we would want what we grew up on, a 1990 Bayliner Capri with the 5.0 Mercrusier. Definitely a fan of the speed and operating, plus lots of room to lounge on the front and rear. Inboard only, and comparable speed/acceleration.

Anything currently on the market (used) that would be similar to that? Or general suggestions of what to look for?

 

[Jarcher3]

I cant speak for what is for sale locally, but i just bought mine here in arkansas. it is a 2001 larson 190 LXI 19' with the 4.3 volvo I/O it is rated for 9 and fits 6 comfortably might be able to do 8 but that would be pushing it unless there was no beer onboard......

I would say somewhere in the 20' range for you most come with the v8 at that point and should give you some room.

we payed 7500 for ours but i looked for a few months and worked with a very good seller.

Check craigslist and the paper and all, drive around to local dealers and shops. if you are around the table rock area of MO there is a lot of those boats listed on the little rock CL that looked really nice.

For 10K you should be able to find a pretty solid post 2000 Bow Rider I/O

 

[Starcraft5834]

agreed.. condition, condition, condition, patience is key.. do your homework and check out the basics well..

 

[milehighjc]

Take your time, look at a lot of boats. Use the checklist that is stickied on this forum. IMHO, a boat that can pull a skier with 6-10 people on board might be challenging (seems to me that is a 20'+ boat, with a big V8, probably a big block especially if you want to slalom ski), but I think it is possible.

Be careful on the condition front. A boat that was not well cared for might fit the bill for price/size/engine, but will cost you a LOT more to operate/maintain. A higher priced boat in decent condition will keep you on the water in the summer. The alternative is unexpected repairs in the middle of the summer when it is hard to find someone to work on the boat (at least around here, the good marine mechanics are often 2+ weeks out before they can even LOOK at a boat).

I think I was very fortunate with mine... I did get it under 10K, and it had very low hours, and was meticulously cared for. It would not meet your objectives. It is an 18' boat, really only comfortable for 3-5 people. I do sometimes run with 6, but I am watching weight pretty carefully then. The 5.7 Mercruiser will pull me up on a slalom ski (I am fairly big, 5'11, 215lbs) with 3-4 adults and a dog on board. Most importantly, it just runs. Because it has been well maintained, I have had essentially no trouble with it except things that I caused (yep, fried an alternator once). I put it on the water 28 times last year, and I have 22 outings so far this year.

Good luck with the search!

 

[jkust]

I think you are in large bowrider territory. Ours is 24 feet and I hate having more than 6 on it and it is rated for 10 and has tons of seating in it. I wouldn't want any less than a 5.7 MPI (300HP) v8 with what you are proposing. (the MPI Version is only in 2002 and later models and not generally found in 9k boats). I will be blunt and say you have a bit to learn given your first post but that can be accomplished right here. Of course there is the thought process as well of we'll get it and live with it. Everybody views boating differently.

 

[CV16]

I'll chirp on on the condition part. I bought a 2001 Glastonbury GX205 late last season. I had 29 hours on it. I figured with that low of hours, not much could be wrong. Boy was I ever wrong. The guy did zero to maintain it. I'm just glad I got a good deal on it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I picked up my Searay back in 2008 for $15k with only 124 hours on it. sold it for $12 with 400 hours on it.

look around, you should be able to pick up a good 19-21' boat to fit your needs in your budget, especially in the next few months.

 

[Oshkosh1]

Don't worry about the name. Worry about the condition.

6-10 people on anything less than 23' would mean I'd be tossing a few off the thing.

My 23' is rated for 10, but anymore than 5 is too crowded and more than 6 wouldn't be enjoyable...but everyone has their tolerance.

Unless you simply plan on disregarding the rated capacity, it's not likely you'll find anything under 20' to meet the demand for space much less the power. Unless everyone is skinny, nothing under a 5.0 or 5.7 will have enough power on demand to pull a skier with a full load.

With all of that said, I'd look more toward a 20-21' bowrider of mid-90's vintage with a 5.7l. As I said...name doesn't mean a lot to me. Granted you'll get some more ammenities with the more popular, but it's the aft 5' or so I'm concerned with more than the fwd 15-17'. I won't buy anything other than "Mercruiser". Volvo's are a PITA to find parts for at times. Most Merc parts can be found at auto parts stores in many cases.

'tis the season(up here) for boats to start going on CL. People who are on the fence don't want to pay to winterize/store and those wanting/needing to upgrade next year also want to dump their current boats to make an early down payment on something new next spring.

Get on it...

 

[jkust]

Forgot to mention that boat prices are crazy hyper-regional. Where are you shopping? A 25k boat here is another states 15k boat is another states 20k boat and on and on and then add to that that summer in my state of MN is winding down and people are getting antsy to off load their boats if they haven't sold yet. The reason I always buy my cars in southern states where stuff is so much cheaper, there is almost an exchange rate and boat prices and many other things are similar.

 

[oldjeep]

My .02 - look for something with a tower on it, or budget a tower and some racks into your equation. One of the things that causes a boat to feel small is having your skis, wakeboards laying all over the floor and having to trip on them every time you move.

 

[tlombard]

I just bought my boat in the St. Louis area from CL in December and after spending a lot of time looking at CL nearly daily for close to a year, I think you should be able to find something that fits your budget without too much trouble. At least in the St. Louis area. And I agree 100% with the notion that condition is more critical than anything else. You may have to look at a lot of junk that wasn't maintained properly but the boat you want is around and will become available at some point. I looked nearly every day for a long time but didn't plan on buying until this past spring and was finding something that I would be happy with in the $5-6k range easily. Every day there would be a couple of them. I wasn't really concerned about size (22' limit on the lake I keep my boat at) but I saw quite a few that would fit your criteria during that time. I just happened to get bored one day and saw an ad that didn't have much information, two pictures and the dreaded 'make me an offer' right after saying how much money he had into rebuilding the boat. I never even thought I would hear back from the guy after making my initial offer sight unseen (pending inspection) but I figured it never hurts to try. And it didn't. I had to go well over my desired budget and $1500 over my initial offer but I figured out a way to make the money work!

I ended up getting an absolute steal on my boat in the middle of December. I had to take a chance since it was winterized already but that also helped me get the deal I did. I found a 2004 Caravelle 187BR (4.3L Volvo) with brand new interior, wiring, switches, bimini top and stereo plus the motor only had 14.6 hours on it. Paid $8500 (included EVERYTHING like life jackets, safety equipment, ropes, bumpers, etc.) and the first weekend out this summer I had multiple offers for $10,500 and up. The guy I bought it from did an amazing job rebuilding it after buying it from somebody who had neglected it. I got really, really lucky.

 

[Oshkosh1]

No Title

Up here(NE Wisconsin), boats see very little use in comparison to other regions due to our short season. We essentially have 4 months of "good" boating weather. That's NOT to say all of that is great either. We have May-October where you can take a boat out(you'll be in a coat for the "May" and the "October") with only June-September being warm enough to get in TO the water. What that means is there are a lot of older boats with much fewer hours. It also means that boats don't sit in the water...our water is REAL hard from Dec-April!lol!

I just bought my 91 Celebrity. It had 338 hours on it. I just pulled the drive...looked new inside. OEM Gimbal bearing; Perfect. Original plugs, wires, cap and rotor...all perfect. It runs like a scalded cat. I paid $5k for it...including a perfectly good trailer, full canvas and a "High Five" prop. Point being, if you look north at this time of year...there are a lot of low time boats. It costs around $10 per foot, per month for storage around here...that can be pretty motivating for people who don't want their boats to sit out in the arctic winter.

 

[jkust]

I just bought my boat in the St. Louis area from CL in December and after spending a lot of time looking at CL nearly daily for close to a year, I think you should be able to find something that fits your budget without too much trouble. At least in the St. Louis area. And I agree 100% with the notion that condition is more critical than anything else. You may have to look at a lot of junk that wasn't maintained properly but the boat you want is around and will become available at some point. I looked nearly every day for a long time but didn't plan on buying until this past spring and was finding something that I would be happy with in the $5-6k range easily. Every day there would be a couple of them. I wasn't really concerned about size (22' limit on the lake I keep my boat at) but I saw quite a few that would fit your criteria during that time. I just happened to get bored one day and saw an ad that didn't have much information, two pictures and the dreaded 'make me an offer' right after saying how much money he had into rebuilding the boat. I never even thought I would hear back from the guy after making my initial offer sight unseen (pending inspection) but I figured it never hurts to try. And it didn't. I had to go well over my desired budget and $1500 over my initial offer but I figured out a way to make the money work!

I ended up getting an absolute steal on my boat in the middle of December. I had to take a chance since it was winterized already but that also helped me get the deal I did. I found a 2004 Caravelle 187BR (4.3L Volvo) with brand new interior, wiring, switches, bimini top and stereo plus the motor only had 14.6 hours on it. Paid $8500 (included EVERYTHING like life jackets, safety equipment, ropes, bumpers, etc.) and the first weekend out this summer I had multiple offers for $10,500 and up. The guy I bought it from did an amazing job rebuilding it after buying it from somebody who had neglected it. I got really, really lucky.

I will bet that the Blue Book value for your caravelle is lower than what people are offering you. The reason I mention blue book is because it is generally lower than the real world for boats and I don't take it into account unless I can use it to my advantage then it is the gospel. Every purchasing story is so vastly different but the key is to quickly realize how the market for used boats in your area is...learn the ins and outs because when you come here to ask if a boat is a deal....and it really is a deal....it will be sold the same day because there's a hundred other guys like you in your area doing the same thing.

 

[thumpar]

My Crownline would have comfortably fit in your budget and that was3 years ago. It took me almost 2 months before he finally let it go.

 

[tlombard]

I will bet that the Blue Book value for your caravelle is lower than what people are offering you. The reason I mention blue book is because it is generally lower than the real world for boats and I don't take it into account unless I can use it to my advantage then it is the gospel. Every purchasing story is so vastly different but the key is to quickly realize how the market for used boats in your area is...learn the ins and outs because when you come here to ask if a boat is a deal....and it really is a deal....it will be sold the same day because there's a hundred other guys like you in your area doing the same thing.

Actually, they were offering me right around the blue book. I got it for $3k under. I don't treat the blue book as gospel either but every insurance company quoted the agreed upon value as $3k more than I paid AND when I did searches for comparable boats the same boat, same year and not nearly in as good of condition was being priced and sold at least $2k more than what I paid. They weren't in bad condition, I just got mine with a brand new interior, wiring, brand new bimini top, stereo system upgrades and 14.6 hours on the motor PLUS 9 life jackets, all safety equipment, anchor, etc. for a great price. I literally didn't have to buy a single thing.

The other thing about my area is that once you get much above $6k for an smaller bowrider, it's a tough sell. He had tried to get what the boat is worth during the summer but everybody who looked at it ended up just taking that money and buying new since they were getting brand new with warranty with a nice chunk down for low payments. If I thought I could have gotten that lucky again then I would have sold it but there's no way. And when I told the people that is why I wouldn't sell they laughed and agreed with me.

 

[jkust]

Actually, they were offering me right around the blue book. I got it for $3k under. I don't treat the blue book as gospel either but every insurance company quoted the agreed upon value as $3k more than I paid AND when I did searches for comparable boats the same boat, same year and not nearly in as good of condition was being priced and sold at least $2k more than what I paid. They weren't in bad condition, I just got mine with a brand new interior, wiring, brand new bimini top, stereo system upgrades and 14.6 hours on the motor PLUS 9 life jackets, all safety equipment, anchor, etc. for a great price. I literally didn't have to buy a single thing.

The other thing about my area is that once you get much above $6k for an smaller bowrider, it's a tough sell. He had tried to get what the boat is worth during the summer but everybody who looked at it ended up just taking that money and buying new since they were getting brand new with warranty with a nice chunk down for low payments. If I thought I could have gotten that lucky again then I would have sold it but there's no way. And when I told the people that is why I wouldn't sell they laughed and agreed with me.

On that agreed value, my insurance company asks me what I would like the Agreed Value to be for my boats. Absolutely zero input from them which makes me wonder what the boundaries are. It is interesting...If I heard an interior was redone plus the engine on such a new boat, it wouldn't have made my list. Sounds like it all worked out for you though.

 

[tlombard]

The guy was up front about everything and I was even happier to look at it and pay his price. He wasn't the original owner. The original owner didn't winterize it properly and the block cracked. Then he let it sit and the interior and wiring all ended up shot. The guy I bought it from bought the boat and completely redid everything with new motor, interior, wiring, etc. The only thing he didn't replace was the drive but he included paperwork from having it serviced and checked out along with paperwork back to 2004 when the boat was brand new. Motor was still under warranty until earlier this summer too. He winterized himself before I picked it up and even sent me videos of every step of the process to show that he did it right.

If it wasn't 100% wood free in its construction I wouldn't have even considered it though. The fact that there is no wood to rot was a huge factor for me. I was still nervous with the purchase and went over it really well but the guy did GREAT work and judging by everything in his garage when I looked at the boat, he appeared to be somebody who takes great care of his stuff. He even had half a dozen yard rakes lined up hanging on the wall and organized by size. That's always a good sign! He included receipts from everything that went into it. I even have the original insurance paperwork from the original owner in 2004 and a receipt for a can coozie from that summer too.

I took a gamble but it has more than paid off.

 

[jkust]

The guy was up front about everything and I was even happier to look at it and pay his price. He wasn't the original owner. The original owner didn't winterize it properly and the block cracked. Then he let it sit and the interior and wiring all ended up shot. The guy I bought it from bought the boat and completely redid everything with new motor, interior, wiring, etc. The only thing he didn't replace was the drive but he included paperwork from having it serviced and checked out along with paperwork back to 2004 when the boat was brand new. Motor was still under warranty until earlier this summer too. He winterized himself before I picked it up and even sent me videos of every step of the process to show that he did it right.

If it wasn't 100% wood free in its construction I wouldn't have even considered it though. The fact that there is no wood to rot was a huge factor for me. I was still nervous with the purchase and went over it really well but the guy did GREAT work and judging by everything in his garage when I looked at the boat, he appeared to be somebody who takes great care of his stuff. He even had half a dozen yard rakes lined up hanging on the wall and organized by size. That's always a good sign! He included receipts from everything that went into it. I even have the original insurance paperwork from the original owner in 2004 and a receipt for a can coozie from that summer too.


I took a gamble but it has more than paid off.

As Caravelle advertises "No Wood is Good"

My last boat was wear and tear free and at one point I had taken it in for service and full detailing and instead of lifting up the ski mirror that was stored in the side pocket gunnel storage, they yanked it straight out to my chagrin. You had to lift the mirror up, angle it back and gently remove it from the storage spot. They instead tore the upholstery panel on a boat that was heavily upholstered...it was a newer Chaparral with hard to damage, thick upholstery. Of course when I brought it to their attention, they paid to have that bolster piece reupholstered admitting that their person screwed up and was in a hurry. My point is that even professional upholsterer couldn't quite mimic the quality of the detail of the factory upholstery. They were even the go-to upholsterer around the area. It was close, but not the same level of craftsmanship. The piece that was reupholstered was large but had different patterns on it with different colors and some rounded spots and of course piping but they just couldn't quite get it all to look like the port side that was factory. If I didn't have an entire boat to compare it to, I wouldn't know any differently but it wasn't up to what I had expected. Sounds silly, but that made me not feel super confident even this so called great upholsterer can hit the finest details.

 

[tlombard]

Thankfully he had the entire boat redone and there aren't any other Caravelles on my lake to compare it to so I'm happy! They did seem to do a pretty good job of matching to the factory from pictures I've seen from other ones online so I'm good.